La mobilità a Freigericht in Germania per il progetto Erasmus+ Fostering Global Citizenship
2022-1-IT02-KA122-SCH-000075868

di Marco Minonne (4D)

Sono entusiasta di condividere la mia esperienza nel progetto Erasmus+ Fostering Global Citizenship a Freigericht, in Germania. È stata un’opportunità straordinaria per esplorare nuove culture e forgiare ricordi indelebili. Questa esperienza mi ha sollecitato ad esprimere le mie idee di fronte a un pubblico non noto, a sperimentare nuove avventure e modificare la mia routine quotidiana per adattarla ad un mondo differente dal mio consueto.

Uno dei temi centrali ha riguardato l’uguaglianza di genere. Abbiamo esaminato, presso il museo dei giocattoli di Hanau, come i giocattoli e i mezzi di comunicazione influenzano la costruzione e percezione dei ruoli di genere sin dall’infanzia. La visita è stata illuminante, mettendo in luce come giocattoli tradizionalmente associati a un determinato sesso abbiano contribuito alla perpetuazione degli stereotipi che ancora permeano la nostra società.

Abbiamo altresì affrontato argomenti riguardanti la democrazia e la partecipazione attiva dei cittadini, visitando luoghi simbolici come la chiesa di San Paul a Francoforte. Abbiamo collaborato in gruppi internazionali per proporre nuove legislazioni su tematiche attuali, quali l’età per il diritto di voto e la candidatura e l’immigrazione. Abbiamo esplorato le sfide legate ai flussi migratori e discusso di come gli Stati membri possano cooperare per affrontarle.

In conclusione, questa esperienza mi ha aperto gli orizzonti del concetto di cittadinanza globale. Sono grato alla mia scuola e alla mia famiglia ospitante per questa straordinaria opportunità. Mi ha insegnato che la partecipazione attiva, indipendentemente dall’età, è fondamentale per plasmare il nostro futuro comune.

Exploring Germany: A Week of Learning and Adventures

Day 1 (17/09/2023)

We arrived at the Wächtersbach train station and I met my host (Devin) and his family. After getting a house tour, I ate a typical Turkish dish.

Day 2 (18/09/2023)

I woke up at 6:40 a.m. and took the bus just 20 minutes later. Once we arrived at the school we were introduced to all the international students and had the chance to have in-depth conversations about gender equality. We explored several prompts and obtained insights into many cultural viewpoints on this significant topic, which made for a thought-provoking debate. Just after the first conversation, there was a programmed fire alarm drill.
Following the insightful conversations, we went on a school tour.
By mid-day, we went to the School cafeteria for lunch.
At 5 p.m. I went to the local Gym with Devin. 
After the gym (around 7 p.m.) we met up with Kjell, Mario, Levin, Letizia and Cristiano, and took a stroll to check out the city.

Day 3 (19/09/2023)

I woke up at 6:30 a.m. and took the bus to go to the Langenselbold train station so we could take a train to Hanau. Once we arrived at Hanau we went to the toy museum where the entire group discussed gender roles in toys during different generations. After the museum, we did a kind of treasure hunt which included different historical buildings like the Wallonian-Dutch church and the city town hall. At 1 p.m. we went to eat a pizza at an Italian restaurant (which was pretty good). After lunch our free time started, I went to Hanau’s gallery (Galeria) and explored the variety of shops. 
At 5 p.m. we took a bus to go back home.
At 10 p.m. we went to the gym to train my biceps.

Day 4 (20/09/2023) 

I woke up at 6:40 and took the bus to go to school. We waited until 9 a.m. for the private bus to arrive, so it could bring us to Frankfurt. When we arrived after about 1 hour we visited St Paul’s Church where we worked in international groups on the history of the church and the German Democracy Movement that started in the 19th century. After the cathedral Devin, Kjell, Levin, Tristan and I took the metro to go to a German rapper’s burger restaurant (Bozz). After lunch, we went to a perfume gallery which had several floors and a park near the centre of Frankfurt. At 5 p.m. we took the bus back to school so that everyone could go back home. 
At 9 p.m. we headed to Mia’s house for a party, where everyone sat around a campfire, made s’mores and drank apfel wein and beers.
At 11 p.m. Kjell’s father took Devin and me back home.

Day 5 (21/09/2023)

I woke up at 6:40 and commuted to school by bus. Today, we initiated the discussions: we were instructed to write various legislative proposals based on the fixed problem we were presented with. For the creation of these proposals, we were divided into four groups. Meanwhile, for the balloting, we were divided into nations, similar to the Council of the EU. The deliberations weren’t too intense, and nearly everyone seemed to agree with the proposals. After this project, at 1 p.m., we went to dine at the school cafeteria. In the afternoon, we gathered with Levin, Letizia, Kjell, and Cristiano at an incredible buffet-style restaurant. We stayed there for two hours to ensure we were maximizing our value. At 9 p.m., precipitation began, so we hurried to avoid missing the bus.

Day 6 (22/09/2023)

Similar to the previous mornings, today marked the second day of discussions: the deliberation concerning the first legislative proposal was very long and intense. The Swedish delegation proposed a radical alteration of the proposal, but all the other nations were against it. In the end, the original legislation passed (4 yes and 1 no). Meanwhile, the second proposal was exceptionally detailed; in fact, nobody asked questions or debated. At 4 p.m., Devin and I prepared to go to the soccer fields and the fitness centre. We played soccer for two hours with Kjell and Cristiano but skipped the fitness centre to meet up for the final gathering at Marius’ residence. During the gathering, Levin and Marius performed their respective musical instruments, the ukulele and electric guitar, while the others simply relaxed. The Italians also tried a novel drink called Spezi.

Day 7 (23/09/2023)

On the last day, I woke up relatively late compared to the other days, at around 7:30 a.m. Devin’s father took me to Gelnhaulsen’s train station, where the Italians and their hosts gathered for the final time and bid farewell.

Fotogallery